In the flagship class of smartphones there aren’t many choices apart from Apple and Samsung but Oppo has emerged as a viable choice with its new Find X3 Pro.
Priced at $1699, the Oppo Find X3 Pro offers customers a striking design, a dazzling display and an impressive camera system.
They are the features that customers look for but at this price point they are competing with Apple and Samsung.
It would take a lot to drag anyone away from those brands.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro does offer an attractive alternative for those looking to make a change or upgrade from a cheaper Oppo model.
On the design side the Oppo Find X3 Pro will really turn heads.
The company has cleverly pivoted away from producing a similar looking product as the other flagship brands.
Instead it has offered a curved and glossy chassis that merges beautifully with the camera system on the rear panel.
It is highly reflective and yet somehow manages to resist fingerprints which usually mar these types of designs.
Oppo has also included a silicon cover in the box for added protection but this is the type of phone you want to show off.
The device is 8.3mm thick and weighs just 193g.
Turning to the display, here’s where Oppo has made a point of difference with a 10-bit colour management system so you can enjoy higher quality video with wider dynamic range and depth of colour.
You can really see the quality of your content.
And this also carries over from the camera which makes 4K imaging possible with complete control over ISO, white balance, shutter speed and focus.
It’s that same 10-bit colour management system that helps you capture your images and videos in a quality that will truly showcase the quality of the screen.
The display can actually adjust its refresh rate between 5Hz and 120Hz depending on what you’re doing.
This not only looks stunning and smooth but also preserves your battery power at the same time.
You’ll never get tired of looking at this display and the content you’re enjoying and even the content you’ve created – they all look good on the Oppo Find X3 Pro screen.
On the camera side the Oppo Find X3 Pro includes two primary 50-megapixel cameras (wide angle and ultra-wide) and includes the Sony IMX 766 imaging sensor.
You can produce some remarkable images which results in sharp high resolution images that have been HDR (high dynamic range) graded.
Also on board is a 13 megapixel 2X telephoto camera.
What’s missing here is greater zoom which could have been made possible with a periscope lens to get even closer to your subject. That was a missed opportunity.
But overall the camera can hold its own against the best Apple and Samsung have to offer.
One camera feature other phones definitely don’t have is a microscope camera which can magnify objects up to 60 times.
You can get this camera millimetres away from the object to see the incredible magnification.
You almost need to rest it on the item you’re photographing to achieve focus before you take your image.
We tried it on a piece of paper and the end of a lead pencil and it certainly provided an image that we wouldn’t have normally been able to obtain.
Some may see this as a novelty feature but if used in the right way you can really come up with some artful images.
On the performance side, Oppo has not held back with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor that gives the device a truly snappy performance.
Apps open instantly, as does the camera, and switching between apps is also no effort.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro also supports 5G so you can enjoy fast uploads and downloads in 5G coverage areas.
The device is running the colour OS 11.2 user interface that really gives the phone its own look and feel.
It provides a colourful layer above the Android software.
There is also an in-screen fingerprint reader positioned right at the bottom of the screen.
This worked well most of the time but it could have been a little more responsive.
Battery life is also quite impressive thanks to the 4500mAh battery onboard and we had no issue getting through an entire day on a single charge.
The good news is when it is time to recharge you have 65W SuperVOOC Flash Charge which can get you up and running in no time.
In fact, in just 10 minutes you can charge the battery up to 40 per cent.
It also has 30W AirVOOC wireless flash charge.
Overall the Oppo Find X3 Pro can really hold its own against Apple and Samsung but it’s tough to say whether the customers with $1699 to spend will move away from these huge brands.
Our thought is the phone should have been priced a little cheaper to attract that customer who might be on the fence about spending extra money on a smart phone and demonstrating the outstanding features and value they would be receiving.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro is available now.
VERDICT
The Oppo Find X3 Pro is an excellent smartphone that can match it with the big brands when it comes to features, design and performance.
